Population/Demographics

Japan enacts changes to bolster support for elderly without kin

The number of people aged 65 or older without relatives within the third degree of kinship is projected to rise from 2.86 million in 2024 to 4.48 million in 2050.

Japan doctor-turned-author moots amputations to ease care crunch

A caretaker wheels an elderly woman after a bath at a day care facility for senior citizens in Tokyo.

Japan’s World Cup clean-up praise meets scepticism at home

Japan fans clear trash in the stands during the 2026 World Cup on June 14.

Older voters, cities led rejection of Swiss population cap, data shows

A sign sits in a field, on the day of the vote on a plan backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) to limit population growth to 10 million inhabitants, near Hundwil, Switzerland, June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Michaela Stache

Swiss reject 10 million population cap in referendum, avoiding EU clash

The Swiss population stands at 9.1 million and has grown far more quickly than in the surrounding EU.

Japan sees record multiple pregnancies after fertility insurance coverage

Japan’s public insurance system covers embryo transfers up to six times for women who were under 40 when they began fertility treatment and up to three times for those aged 40 to 42.

Swiss reject population cap in referendum, avoiding EU clash and cheering business

People vote in front of the school on a plan backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) to limit population growth to 10 million inhabitants, in Hundwil, Switzerland, June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Michaela Stache

Switzerland to vote on plan to cap its population at 10 million

The proposed plan would limit Switzerland’s residents to no more than 10 million people until 2050.

What is the Swiss population cap proposal and what would it mean for Europe?

A sign is pictured ahead of a June 14 vote on a plan backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) to cap the population at 10 million inhabitants, in Glarus, Switzerland, May 18, 2026. The sign reads: \"Preserve what we love\". REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Congo says number of confirmed Ebola cases rises to nearly 600

An aerial view from a UN helicopter shows residential settlements and dirt roads, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in the outskirts of Mongbwalu, Djugu Territory of Ituri province which is the epicentre of the Ebola epidemic, Democratic Republic of Congo, June 9, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.